General Cycling Discussion - I need some opinion on bike parking

1.)I am sure for those of you who live in apartments put your bikes in your apartment. Do you think it's troublesome carrying it up and down and into and out of your apartment, especially for those who use it for communting? And does it take up much space?


I am in Industrial Design major and I just thought of a way to park bikes in a public or common space. So it will be more like parking lot, but one that provides security and saves more space.


The problem is bikes are not cheap things and people are afraid of it being stolen or damaged. So what do you think?

2.) Seondly do you guys want to have a cell phone or PDA holder mounted on the bars like the "cat eye" lights? For me it's not a necessity but will bring lot's of convenience. So again, do you think it's a good one?

I wouldn't want to park my bike in a common area. Even with good security I'd feel safer if the bike was with me.

As for mobile holders, there are a few available already but I wouldn't use one. I'm happier with mine in my back pocket.

Having said that, I'd still be interested in your design ideas. You've got me intrigued.

I'm a flatdweller, and I picked up an indoor bike rack to store my two bikes. The particular model I grabbed is a Bikes-Aloft; they're sold at Performance Bike. The Bikes-Aloft rack has one big advantage over most other indoor racks, it leans against the wall, meaning that you don't need to drill any holes to mount it.

I have heard of common areas for bikes in apartments, although they are rare. People have reported damage in them from what I understand.
The cell phone thing is a good idea but there are several companies already offering handlebar-mounted products (I got one for my b-day). The PDA thing - well, why do you need to compute things when you're out riding? A GPS - now that'd be cool.

Can you guys post the link to where those cell phone holders are? I am curious how they are designed. Thanx!

Here's the one I have:
http://www.topeak.com/cgi-bin/SoftCart.exe/Store/handyphone.html?L+scstore+yhxb0771ff13fb13+1030115586
Here's another:
http://www.topeak.com/cgi-bin/SoftCart.exe/Store/smallphone.html?L+scstore+yhxb0771ff13fb13+1030115586

They don't show the mounting mechanism but it's basically a zip tie which locks with a plastic screw around a mount. The bag locks on to the mount with a quick release.

Originally posted by Bikes-N-Drums
Here's the one I have:
http://www.topeak.com/cgi-bin/SoftCart.exe/Store/handyphone.html?L+scstore+yhxb0771ff13fb13+1030115586
Here's another:
http://www.topeak.com/cgi-bin/SoftCart.exe/Store/smallphone.html?L+scstore+yhxb0771ff13fb13+1030115586

They don't show the mounting mechanism but it's basically a zip tie which locks with a plastic screw around a mount. The bag locks on to the mount with a quick release.

Thanx for the links but that's not what I was thinking about. With that kind of pouch, certainly there are some models of cell phone that won't fit. I was thinking about something that will fit all, and yet easy to remove.

I will do some simple sketches first then.

My daughter was forced to use common area parking in college. Actually, she was forced by the fact that putting the bike in her room involved carrying it up 3 flights of stairs:)

During her 4 years she lost 2 bikes to theft, one wheel to vandalism and one was run over by a delivery truck. She was reimbursed for that one. These machines were all hand-me-downs, trades or swaps between students so no great financial tragedy ensued. Yet they do serve to form my attitude about common area parking of my $1000 machine.

I sometimes park and lock my bike during short visits to stores, restaurants and such. I usually try hard to keep an eye on it while there or check it frequently. At home I don't even leave it unattended in my fenced yard. Rather, I lock it in the garage.

My point is, I don't leave it unattended/unlocked at places where there is a reasonable expectation that there will be always be bikes present at any given time.

My area is certainly not what one would call a high crime area. Yet, I can't bear the thought of losing even a couple of days of riding, just because someone impulsively snatched my machine. I certainly won't risk leaving it somewhere for a long duration, tempting all who pass to help themselves.

Carl

How about indoor but in the lobby area or even a room like the laundry room?

Originally posted by webist
My daughter was forced to use common area parking in college. Actually, she was forced by the fact that putting the bike in her room involved carrying it up 3 flights of stairs:)

Carl

After the first theft attempt of my bike while in college, I started carrying it up 3 flights of stairs every evening. The U lock held but the rims were both taco'd.

I would take the time to carry the bike up the stairs and did that. Also have done it in hotels. I could have left the bike attached to the car, outside in the dark of night, but no!!! Carried up and down, up and down and up and down for the three nights I was there. I even, in one hotel... dared! ride the elevator with it. That was fun getting the bike out the door, but one does what one needs to sleep well at night.


Annie:fun:

Originally posted by AnnieYak
Also have done it in hotels. I could have left the bike attached to the car, outside in the dark of night, but no!!! Carried up and down, up and down and up and down for the three nights I was there.


Reminds me of a month I spent in Yuma one weekend. I remember the housekeeper, on seeing the bike in the room during the day saying "Do you ride a bike?"

I should have posted this in the "Dumb Things Non-Biker Say thread."

This entire thread illustrates why I need at least one beater bike. I demand high security for the expensive equipment.

Originally posted by AnnieYak
I would take the time to carry the bike up the stairs and did that. Also have done it in hotels. I could have left the bike attached to the car, outside in the dark of night, but no!!! Carried up and down, up and down and up and down for the three nights I was there. I even, in one hotel... dared! ride the elevator with it. That was fun getting the bike out the door, but one does what one needs to sleep well at night.
How heavy can a bike be? :)

BRING IT INSIDE

(or at least double-lock it in plain view of a security guard who loves your body.)

I had a similar dilemma at work this week... I was wanting to take my bike to the shop for its first tuneup & adjustment (Trek 4300 I bought a month ago) and since the shop is close to work I put it in the back of the truck one morning on the way in and planned to take it to the shop during lunch. I didn't want to leave it in the back of the truck, even though it is a secured campus and a covered parking garage, and I didn't want to leave it in a rack since I don't have a lock, so I just brought it in with me. Now this is a high-tech company that is used to a little eccentricity from time to time, but I still got some interested looks in the hallways. :)

As I wheeled the bike into the lab I made some wisecrack about travel budget cuts and I think a few believed me! :D

Why not get a folding bike? You can fold it in the elevator and take it up with you. There are some decent folders out there. They are not Armstrong's type of Trek but the alternative is to leave it on the rack and hope for the best.

Originally posted by Pete Clark

How heavy can a bike be? :)

BRING IT INSIDE

(or at least double-lock it in plain view of a security guard who loves your body.)

She's a girl. And it's not fun having to do it everyday, plus students have more than themselves to carry.

I am sure that most of us want good rides, so we would rather be riding a solid MTB or something rather than a folding bike.... you know, the "fun" part.

I once saw a guy riding a folding bike on the road... it was so funny. No matter how fast he paddled the bike just refused to go any faster. It's got a slow but high torque gear ratio.

Originally posted by unrelated
....
I once saw a guy riding a folding bike on the road... it was so funny. No matter how fast he paddled the bike just refused to go any faster. It's got a slow but high torque gear ratio.


I should point out that there are cheap folding bikes and great folding bikes. The ones we commonly saw in the late 1970s were easy to fold, but relatively heavy, very flexible and not performant. Some folding bikes like the Bike Friday and the Moulton are a few steps beyond that and almost as good as a non-folding bike.

Regards,